AVIATION MYSTERY

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 168, 19 July 1938, Page 7

AVIATION MYSTERY

NEW YORK INTRIGUED Pilot In Old-rashioned ’Plane FLYING THE ATLANTIC? (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) Received July IS, 11.10 p.m. NEW YORK, July 18. New Yorkers have had an aviation mystery. They have been amazed to learn that Douglas Corrigan, aged 31, a transport pilot, flying a nine-year-old single-motored Curtis Hoban machine, flew non-stop from Los Angeles and was attempting a further nonstop—of necessity—flight to Englan . in an unlicensed attempt to emulate Colonel Lindbergh, whose 'plane, “Spirit of St. Louis,” Corrigan helper to assemble before its historic flight. Corrigan’s ’plane, which carries neither radio nor safety devices, arrived unheralded at New York yesterday week when excitement was running high over the departure o. Howard Hughes on his round-the-world flight. It was not until the nex. day that Corrigan calmly announced that he had flown non-stop from Los Angeles in 27 hours 50 minutes as a holiday jaunt, causing aviators to gasp, since such a flight is regarded as an achievement by a modern ’plain and little short of a miracle by Corrigan’s machine, which is so overladen with petrol tanks that the-pilo. cannot see out of the cockpit in Iron, but must flip the ’plane side-on gin order to make observations from th,, cabin windows. A greater gasp went up at 5.17 a.m. on Sunday when Corrigan took aboar., 320 gallons of petrol, estimated at 4u hours' supply, hopped off and vanished due east instead of west. It was then learned that he had unsuccess fully applied for a permit to fly to Ireland last year and had long cherished an ambition to fly acresthe Atlantic. His friends insisted he had no such intention when he hoppeu off. They contended he was merely making for Los Angeles, pointing ou. that it is not uncommon on westward flights to take off eastward from New York, thereafter circling. But when the day passed without a further report concerning Corrigan’s whereabouts, the transatlantic theory gained many converts and the Corrigan mystery became a minor newspaper sensation. He was still not reported a 3 a.m. to-day.